Are the rumors true? I’ve read that Fernando Alonso is going to sign a deal with Ferrari for 2010 season. And then there’s the rumor about Kimi Raikkonen retiring. I hope not but my reliable source quoted that the Finn has told some of his friends that he doesn’t have any plans on racing for too long. Is that the reason why he didn’t do well in Monte Carlo? I don’t know.
The current Formula 1 world champion loves to drive but sources have said that the publicity and the “life under the spotlight” was already taking a toll on the famed Finn. Who wouldn’t get tired of the spotlight anyway? Celebrities do get tired of all the publicity and just wants to have a quiet life. Maybe that’s what Raikkonen wants, to live simply and to just wake up without ever worrying about the next race. If Kimi retires, I don’t want Alonso to replace him. I’d rather wish it was Robert Kubica or anybody else, just not Alonso.
Lewis Hamilton was a rookie and he’s already proven to everybody in the Formula 1 community that he’s good. How did he prove that he’s as good as anybody else in F1? Simple, he got the pole position and won that same race, which was the 2007 Canadian GP in Montreal.
Hamilton’s win in Circuit Gilles Villeneuve has been marked as one of his greatest achievement in his career. Just imagine that at the age of 22, he’s been able to race in one of the most prestigious races in the world. He’s definitely showed some spirit during his karting days to really impress the officials of the McLaren F1 team. Right now, he’s ahead of the pack and behind are two of the ace drivers of the Ferrari F1 team named Kimi Raikkonen and the Felipe Massa.
Honestly, when Michael Schumacher was still racing I never really rooted for the Ferrari team. It’s because I know that they’ll definitely win anyway. So, why cheer for a team that literally doesn’t need any cheering? I’m not mad at Schumacher. It’s just that it was too much for the red team and I was always asking myself, “Is there anyone who can stop Schumacher or Barrichello from winning?” Well, my question was answered and that was the arrival of the young Hamilton in F1. But during that time, Schumie has already announced that he’s retiring. So, my question was completely pointless.
But if Schumacher continued to race last season, I would’ve known if Hamilton was his match. I know it’s a bit ridiculous comparing a professional and ace driver like Schumacher to a young driver like Hamilton. But Hamilton is definitely not a novice when it comes to racing. In fact, he once said to the boss of the McLaren team Ron Dennis that he someday he wants to race on their cars. That actually happened during his 2007 debut. I know, he would’ve wanted to race against Ferrari’s ace Schumacher. But I guess time didn’t give him a favor.
What separates him from other F1 drivers is his determination. Never have I read him saying that he’s lost his hope after a race loss. His spirits are always up, making him a one heck of a driver. But I think it’s too early to think that the Brit will win the world championship. The competition is actually tighter this time of the season and drivers are a few points ahead of each other and there’s definitely a lot of grand prix to come. But I’m telling you, Hamilton has a good shot for the elusive world championship.
Aside from Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, I’ve always admired the tenacity of BMW’s Robert Kubica. He’s a young and a highly skilled Formula 1 driver. He can actually race with the toughest and ends up victorious. What proved him to be a better driver than his previous F1 seasons was his flawless Monaco GP race. Though he didn’t win the race, he was second best to Hamilton at the podium and next to him was Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. His competitive nature is what makes him one of the best F1 drivers this season. And if he stays consistent in his races, the competition between Ferrari and McLaren will be broken and there’ll be three teams vying for the world championship.
When asked about how he was able to improve this season? Kubica answered that he hasn’t improved that much as a driver. What helped improve his performance this season was his BMW car. His BMW car definitely made it easier for him to win especially in Circuit de Monaco, where he said was much harder to concentrate. When asked about BMW’s preparation for next week’s race in Montreal, he revealed that his team has prepared a special medium downforce package that’ll allow the BMW cars to adapt well with the medium downforce condition Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Nico Rosberg’s crash on the 60th lap on the Swimming Pool chicane was something really serious. The Williams’ car was terribly damaged especially the right side. The front wheel was missing and when the car was brought to the pits, it was still smoking. Accidents can really happen during a race especially if rain is pouring on the circuit. The chances of having accidents are actually higher because of the soaking wet track. Not only do Formula 1 drivers have to go through the challenging circuit of Monte Carlo, they also have to double their caution because of the rain.
Despite the rain and the accident, Rosberg is fine and is feeling good about his FW30. He even said that his car was doing well during practice sessions and the qualifying race. That’s actually good news for the Williams’ team, which is currently tied with the Red Bull-Renault team. Rosberg, on the other hand, is on the 10th place in the driver’s standings. If Rosberg prevents himself from getting into an accident, he’ll definitely be able to bring his team the lead it needs. As for the dominating teams, they’d probably be staying on top and the Williams’ team will definitely be the wall that separates the best from the so-so.
After a disappointing race in Monte Carlo, Kimi Raikkonen spent his time recuperating by attending the Kiss concert this week in Helsinki.
Raikkonen, who was second at the qualifying race, is slowly showing that his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa is quicker than he. The Finn has indeed showed that his teammate is seconds quicker than him, judging by his performance in six qualifying races this season. You know what I think? I honestly agree with Massa being quicker and the nice thing about these two Ferrari drivers is that their skills are almost on the same level. If only Raikkonen kept his focus, he would’ve had a better chance of earning points for his team, which he obviously did not after finishing in the ninth place on the Monaco GP.
If Gene Simmon’s gig could help him get back to his usual competitive self, then, it’s good decision to go to Helsinki and rock his way to the Kiss concert. And when he goes back to racing in Montreal, he’ll be able to prove that he’s better and he can win in Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, where Lewis Hamilton previously dominated. Then maybe, he can silence all those that doubt him.
The Monaco GP looked almost out of hand for Lewis Hamilton and that was because both Ferrari drivers have dominated the qualifying race. The 22-year-old Brit was just third from Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa. The only thing the Hamilton was hopeful about was the weather. Weather forecasts predicted that it could rain in Monte Carlo on race day. And indeed, before the race began rain poured in Circuit de Monaco. The Brit wasn’t very hopeful during the first six laps after he crashed hard on a wall en route for the Swimming Pool. At that time, the ace driver of the McLaren team was behind Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. He has no choice but to take set off to the pit stop and the thought of the Brazilian dominating the race came into his mind.
After the trouble, Hamilton’s MP4-23 was refueled and so he went back to the race. On the eighth lap, when David Coulthard’s Red Bull and Sebastien Bourdais’ Toro Rosso blew up, Hamilton saw the sun shining brightly upon him. The accident only means that the safety will be released and so cars will be plunked close to each other. The race began during the 11th lap. But soon after the race continued, Raikkonen has to withdraw to second place to pay for his drive-through penalty because of his tyres were fixed very late. This placed Robert Kubica behind Massa. During the 16th lap, Kubica took the lead after overtaking while on Ste Devote.
Kubica had the lead but gave it up on the 26th lap to refuel. Putting Massa back to where he was before. But then again, Massa has to make a pit stop which he made during the 33rd lap. At that time, Hamilton was behind him. The Brit eventually took the lead and no other car has crept up from behind to steal it away from him, not even Raikkonen.
Hamilton refueled on the 54th lap and changed to Bridgestone soft tyres. And when he went back to the race, he was still in the lead. Yes, he was in the lead but he wasn’t totally out of harm’s way. On the 61st lap just 40 secs ahead of him, Williams’ driver Nico Rosberg crashed on the walls just before the Swimming Pool. This only means that the safety car will be out soon and the chances of Hamilton to take off for a safer lead were gone.
The race resumed on the 68th lap and Hamilton grabbed the chance of pulling his car away from the pack, which he successfully did. Following him was Kubica, who by the way had no trouble in pulling away from Massa. Massa stayed third for the rest of the race.
Force India’s Adrian Sutil was having the time of his life as the fourth in the race. But, I guess, Monte Carlo wasn’t the perfect place to celebrate a victory as his car was smacked from behind by Raikkonen. This ended the almost victorious race for the German. Victory was almost in his hands but before he even got it, it was gone. The Monaco GP this season proved to be another nail-biting race. Rain, accidents, overtaking, and everything that could happen in a race happened in Monte Carlo. And one of my most anticipated win also happened and that is Hamilton standing at the top of the podium.
The win in Monte Carlo gave Hamilton the lead against the two Ferrari drivers, Raikkonen and Massa, and BMW’s Kubica. After Circuit de Monaco, Formula 1 will now be heading to Canada where Hamilton once dominated. I’m expecting a really good race from Raikkonen this time. I think his confidence will be back after a disappointing race in Monte Carlo. For Hamilton, the road to victory was difficult at first but as soon as pulled away right after the second safety car incident, he was in control of the race.
If Lewis Hamilton ended up victorious during the Monaco GP, what happened to his teammate? I’m pretty sure Heikki Kovalainen did his best to get to the podium. But just like Kimi Raikkonen, Kovalainen’s best wasn’t enough to achieve a successful finish in Monte Carlo. The other McLaren finished the Monaco GP in 8th place. And before him was the newbie Kazuki Nakajima of the Williams-Toyota team, which is currently at the fourth spot and tied with the Red Bull-Renault team at the constructor’s standings.
The next grand prix will be on Montreal, Canada, at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The winner last season was Hamilton. Well, it looks like the McLaren team has had a good history in Montreal. The Canadian GP will definitely paint a smile on Hamilton, given that he’s won last season. If his McLaren remains in shape for the next race, the ace driver will definitely have a shot for another win. Hey, I’m not counting out Kimi yet.
Six grand prix have passed and I’ve never witnessed Formula 1 as exciting as this season. Teams and drivers are a few points ahead and behind of each other. The Monaco GP, the previous grand prix, wasn’t the favorite for the Ferrari ace driver Kimi Raikkonen. And even though he’s had the second best lap during the qualifying race that didn’t assured him a win from one of the most challenging circuits in Formula 1. Raikkonen ended up in the 10th spot while his teammate Felipe Massa raced consistently to achieve the third spot. Massa’s success helped the Ferrari team to cement a lead from one of their toughest rivals, the McLaren. Lewis Hamilton still remains a big threat to the red team in achieving another world championship. But hey, the midseason of F1 has just started. A lot of things can happen during the course of the season. And who knows by the end of the season, Ferrari will still be at the top and McLaren will still be looking up at them together with the rest of the F1 teams.
At last, Lewis Hamilton got his deepest wish and that is to win a grand prix. Win not as the second or the third, but the first to finish the race. The victory in Monaco gave Hamilton the lead against Ferrari’s ace Kimi Raikkonen, who finished the race in 10th place. The first win for Hamilton also gave McLaren a 1-point against the BMW team but is still 16 points behind the Ferrari team. He was followed by BMW’s Robert Kubica, who presently less than four points behind Hamilton, Raikkonen, and Felipe Massa. Just imagine how tough Formula 1 is this season. I honestly expected Raikkonen to give his all Circuit de Monaco but I guess it wasn’t enough to get him a win but never fear Ferrari aficionados; the team still has another driver named Massa to pull some win. And Massa did, getting the third spot with a 4-second difference from Hamilton.
After the Monaco GP, the constructor’s standings have changed. Ferrari is still on top with secured 16-point lead from McLaren, which is now on the second spot. The black and grey team is followed by BMW. Now, this is where the competition gets tougher. The top three teams are now on their respective places but none have any plans to give up. Just take a look at the driver’s standings. The top four drivers are just a few points behind each other. This is definitely going to be a really exciting season for all F1 teams and for everybody who loves F1. It’s definitely not going to be easy for Ferrari, if Hamilton and Kubica to continuously perform well consistently.
The Ferrari team has been very confident during the previous races. But with the arrival in Monaco that confidence wavered because the team hasn’t won in that circuit for more than three straight seasons. If the confidence of Ferrari was shaken, Lewis Hamilton’s never. In fact, he’s showing more confidence and determination than he ever did during the previous races. And that confidence was evident with Hamilton earning the fastest lap during Friday’s practice sessions. For me, Lew is becoming the Kobe Bryant of Formula 1.
Hamilton is probably feeling good right now. But it was just the practice sessions. Those sessions weren’t the qualifying race. Anything can happen and we’ll see if Hamilton’s confidence can put him in pole position. And I don’t see the rain stopping Lew from getting what he wants and that is to get a win that could put his name and his team on top of the standings. Now, I’ve decided on whom I’ll put as my podium finishers. First would be Hamilton, next would be Robert Kubica, and the last would be Kimi Raikkonen.
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